Projects and activities currently coordinated by BADIL were developed and implemented in the framework of the Alternative Information Center (AIC) until 1997. At the end of that year, the AIC Board decided that the scope and diversity of AIC projects could no longer be handled properly by one organization. It was thus decided that former AIC projects focusing on Palestinian residency and refugee rights should become the responsibility of a separate organization. This decision was implemented on 1 January 1998, when BADIL began operating as an independent Palestinian non-profit NGO, temporarily using the name of BADIL Alternative Information Center.

Consequently, we decided to change our name to BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency & Refugee Rights for two reasons:

to better express our mandate, i.e. the promotion of the Palestinian people's right to live in its homeland, in the name of our organization;

to facilitate the distinction between BADIL and our former mother organization, the Alternative Information Center (AIC).

This name change does no affect current BADIL programs. In 1998, BADIL coordinates the Project for Palestinian Residency & Refugee Rights (since 1992), the Campaign for the Defense of Palestinian Refugee Rights & Development (since 1997 with the Union of Youth Activities Centres as our partner organization), and a Video Film Project on Palestinian Refugees from Jerusalem 1948.